Rick, Fraser, Pete and Kenny are part of a team running the Marathon Des Sables this year. We hope to raise money for the Enhanced Peri-operative Care Unit (EPOC) at the Royal Cornwall Hospital. EPOC is a new unit that provides protected beds for patients having major planned operations that were previously at constant risk of last-minute cancellation due to emergency pressures on Critical Care.  

Since opening in June 2021, over 700 high risk, major surgical patients have passed through EPOC and benefitted from the additional level of care they provide - including advanced monitoring, dedicated nursing staff who care for a maximum of 2 patients at a time and increased input from senior critical care, anaesthetic and surgical teams until they are safely through the early postoperative period.

EPOC is a key aspect of a dedicated, safe surgical pathway for higher risk cancer, vascular and general surgical patients.  Plans for EPOC include forging closer links to pre-operative assessment, including the ongoing development of a detailed perioperative model.  We also hope to fully refurbish the ward space and install a vital new air handling unit.